In
Ephesians, the very link you gave has this:
- Hear the Scripture that saith, “The bee is little among such as fly, but her fruit is the chief of sweet things.”4
424 [Note that Chrysostom here quotes the Old Testament Apocrypha as Scripture: ἄκουε τῆς γραφῆς λεγούσης. Dr. Schaff says: “He accepts the Syrian Canon of the Peshito, which includes the Old Test. with the Apocrypha,” &c. Prolegomena, p. 19.—G.A.]
- Hear how the Scripture saith, “And it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.” (Gen. xviii. 11.)
- Then mingle also with your discourse the Apostle’s words, that “thus God would have our affections blended together; for listen to the Scripture, which saith
- and attentively study the Scriptures, in most things we shall derive instruction from them.
In 4 out of 5 references to scripture in that document, John Chrysostom refers to HEARING, in the 5th he refers to STUDYING, which if you read in the same paragraph above, he says
Thus then, by thine own language, teach her never to speak -- this is apparent in an Oral culture where the majority were illiterate.
This is not my interpretation but 4 out of 5 references to HEARING scripture and tie that in to a culture where 75% were illiterate and John Chrysostom did NOT mean everyone go and learn to read and then read the Bible (which is complex language in itself not for someone who just learnt a b c) -- he realised the limitations of his audience but wants ALL, literate and illiterate to STUDY scripture and hear it.
I affirm that Chrysostom exhorted hearing the word, and that can refer to communal hearing, but that his exhortation such as “get you at least the New Testament, the Apostolic Epistles, the Acts, the Gospels, for your constant teachers...” for “the reading of the Scriptures and that not to be done lightly, nor in any sort of way, but with much earnestness” is an exhortation to personal study.
Your rejection of this is predicated upon the the premise that
75% of the population was illiterate, and that they could hear enough scripture as to constitute study, in seeking exposure like monks, but whatever credence that has, he also is exhorting personal study for those who can.
And if hearing it communally can help make one literate in it, and if not knowing the Scriptures is the cause of all evils, and is akin to going into battle without arms, how much be able to read one’s own copy of the Scriptures, in addition to being instructed, would overall be to their advantage.